And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
When they received the letter, they took the king's sons and killed all seventy of them. Then they put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
The leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of King Ahab's sons and sent their heads to Jehu as proof of their loyalty to him.
📚 Historical Context
In the 9th century BC, during the divided kingdom of Israel, Jehu had been anointed as king by God's prophet to overthrow the wicked dynasty of Ahab and eradicate Baal worship. He sent a letter to the elders and officials in Samaria, ordering them to kill Ahab's seventy sons as part of fulfilling divine judgment against Ahab's family for their idolatry and moral corruption. This brutal act occurred in Jezreel, marking a key moment in Israel's history of religious and political upheaval.
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